Tips For Connection on a Holiday Zoom

In this crazy pandemic year, our families may not be together for the holidays. Some people may be alone, others celebrating only with their nuclear families when they are accustomed to spending the holidays with their aunts and uncles and cousins. Whatever your situation, you may be using Zoom or another online meeting platform to get together and fight the isolation of COVID.

There is a silver lining. In some ways, especially for the introverts in your crowd, you may be able to use these platforms in ways that reflect and honor, but are different from, your family's typical traditions. Here are a few ideas for your family Zoom holiday call to pack in a bit of serious meaning:

1.  Hang out in the kitchen together

Does your family have traditions around food? Your grandmother's special recipe, a certain kind of cookie? In my family it's Eggs Benedict on Christmas morning. Our family's hollandaise sauce recipe is truly special and something I have never found anywhere. This year my mom, my sister and I will be cooking together on Zoom Christmas morning. 

2.  Share What You're Grateful For

If you can, get everyone on their own screen. When whole families share the screen on a Zoom call, inevitably people drop out. Go around the room and share the best things that happened for you this year. What are you grateful for and what are you looking forward to in 2021?

3.  Watch Your Favorite Holiday Movie Together

Does your family have a tradition of watching a certain something together during the holidays? If you do, bring that togetherness into a cyber-space. Use Zoom, or Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet. The host can stream the movie and screen share, and everyone can comment in the chat.

4.  Crazy Funny Storytime

Give everyone a holiday-related word in their meeting invitation. During your family gathering, try this fun storytelling experience. Use a holiday-related starter sentence, like: "Santa got stuck in our chimney last night." Then take turns. Each person adds a sentence that includes the word they were given in their invitation. This game can be hilarious and anyone, young or old, can participate.

HAVE FUN AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!